


Stargaze

by Luxwinggo



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, M/M, because davenport makes me sad and i love him and merle, like emotional hurt, oh boy here i go hurtin again, u guys like u some fuckin angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 02:02:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14885531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luxwinggo/pseuds/Luxwinggo
Summary: Merle tries to do some stargazing but turns out he's not the only one enjoying the night sky. Merle listens a while. Davenport has a rare moment of lucidity, then loses it.





	Stargaze

**Author's Note:**

> So I posted a super brief idea in the TFW discord and finally fleshed it out. Was gonna save it for a chapter fic but figured nah man here u go. Not beta'd because iiiiiits 3am? Also jsyk gnomes have tails in my headcanon so Davenport has a tail because I can.

* * *

 

 

The first night back after a mission is always a difficult one. The three of them never seem to get much sleep during the first two or three days after their return, at least nothing restful. It doesn’t surprise Merle much when he walks into the shared common room and finds Magnus occupying the couch and staring blankly at a book, pretending to read it. There’s a loud clanging from the kitchen and he can only assume Taako is working on another fiasco in there that will be left for someone else to clean up. Merle sighs and walks towards the apartment door, turning back to Magnus before leaving.

“I’m headin’ out for a drink, you guys need anythin’?”

Another loud crash from the kitchen followed by Taako’s voice. “If-uh-you happen to find a fuckin kitchen with like, actual fucking usable space out there, lemme fuckin’ know!”

Merle rolled his eyes and looked back to Magnus. The human still stared silently at his book and didn’t speak. With a shrug, Merle opened the door and made his way down the corridors.

Most of the missions hadn’t been too bad in retrospect, apart from losing an arm here or there. This last one, though? It had an effect on the team. Maybe not so much on Merle, but on Taako and Magnus the change was as obvious as the sky changing. Taako hadn’t left the kitchen since they returned and had transmuted everything in the fridge into every variety of food imaginable. Just yesterday the wizard wouldn’t even change water into Fantasy Pepsi. That and he had the goofiest smile on his face, saying he had made plans with someone, whatever that meant.

Magnus, on the other hand, had grown quiet. Couldn’t pry anything out of him more than a grunt or a nod. Merle didn’t want to pry, not that he cared, but it was unsettling to see the man so cold. Between him and the fanatic chef the atmosphere in the apartment they shared was absolutely unbearable for Merle.

He pushed open the large metal doors and breathed in the cool air as he walked out onto the quad. Nights like these, when they got back and needed space, were when he found himself under the stars. Sometimes with a few bottles of something or another. Usually with a few bottles. Almost always, actually. Wasn’t the healthiest way to deal with shit but he didn’t become who he was being-

Merle stopped midstep and stared out over the quad. It was well past midnight and everyone was usually inside at this time, but out by the railing stood someone. Merle squinted out at the distance and saw a familiar head of orange hair staring up at the sky.

“Davenport? What the hell’s he doin’...” Merle said to himself. Now that he thought about it, Merle had never seen him outside the main dome alone. With a shrug Merle began walking forward and made his way towards the railing. Dav wasn’t much for a conversation, but maybe a little company wouldn’t kill either of them.

As he approached him, Merle saw that Davenport was wearing some kind of sleepwear. A light blue button shirt and pants to match, his tail hanging lazily through a hole in the back. He stood by the rail, hands held behind his back and eyes up to the sky. Merle paused just behind the gnome and noticed he wasn’t wearing his signature gloves or shoes. Or socks, for that matter. Merle made a face as he pondered what in the world brought the man out here. He hesitated a moment before gently putting his non-wooden hand (thanks, Pan) on Davenport’s shoulder.

“Dav? You ‘aight there?”

Davenport sighed and brought his hand up to rest on Merle’s. Processing what just happened, Merle’s eyes widened as he looked to see if Davenport would realize what he had done. The gnome just kept staring out, his eyes glossed over, as he held Merle’s hand with an odd tenderness.

The weirdest part was how familiar it felt. There wasn’t any awkwardness or shyness in the moment, and Merle just marveled at how nice this was.

He almost jumped when Davenport started speaking to him.

“Merle...where do we even go from here?”

Merle stared at the gnome. He hadn’t heard anything besides the man’s own name come out from under that mustache. Now here he was, speaking fucking _coherently?_

Davenport’s face turned slightly towards him and he spoke again. “We never seem to make any progress no matter how fast we run. Everything turns out the same. Whether we find the-” Davenport’s mouth kept moving but Merle couldn’t understand any of it. He felt like he knew what was being said but his brain just wouldn’t let him think about it. “-and manage to get it out of here, we just end up back where we started. Why do we bother, Merle? What’s the point?”

His hand closed tightly around Merle’s and Davenport looked down. “Maybe they were right. Making me captain was a mistake. This mission was doomed from the start...”

Merle couldn’t understand most of what he said next. Davenport’s eyes were still glazed over and unseeing and his hand never moved from his own. Merle gave him a gentle shake and called out to him again.

“Dav? Hey, Dav? Hey!”

Davenport’s body suddenly jolted under Merle’s hand and the gnome staggered. His eyes blinked furiously and he panted loudly as though he had been holding his breath. He looked up at Merle and just stared at him, then saw their hands and quickly pulled himself away. His eyes darted all around him and his mouth moved silently, but no words came out. After a moment, Merle approached him and put a hand to his back to try and steady him.

“Hey, woah, Dav! Woah, buddy - were you sleepwalking? Shit man, don’t-damn don’t scare a guy like that!” Merle laughed and gave the back a light pat. Davenport look around him and then back to Merle. He looked surprised. “Do ya know how you got out here, Dav?”

Davenport just stared with a lost look on his face. His eyes kept blinking and he slowly looked around. Merle watched him for a moment before taking his hand from Davenport’s back. The gnome appeared to be struggling with something in his mind, like he was trying to find something he just had a moment ago.

“Hey...dont-hey, don’t worry about it. Let’s get back inside and...maybe get me a few drinks, eh?” Merle held a hand out to Davenport and waved it to him. “C’mon, you’ll freeze out here like that.”

Davenport looked at the outstretched hand. Slowly, he reached out and took it. His hold was different this time, rigid and unsure as his eyes fell to the ground. He suddenly looked exhausted.

“Yeah, there we go! C’mon, Dav. Let’s get you back into bed.”

Davenport sighed, letting Merle lead him back to the main dome.

“...D..Davenport...”

**Author's Note:**

> Mmmm hey hmu at luxwing.tumblr.com also Davenchurch until I die


End file.
